Working at an Alaskan RV Resort: For Many Campers, a Once In a Lifetime Job

An Alaskan RV resort job is the summer job many RVers dream
about having. It is different from other campground jobs, just because it is in
Alaska. Alaska is a special place to visit.

My Alaskan RV Resort Work Experience

I worked at an Alaskan RV resort. It was a great experience. I experienced things I could have never seen in the continental United States. The campground was located on one of Alaska’s many protected bays. We saw whales, sea lions, moose, ducks, sea otters, and eagles nearly every day. Occasionally, we would also see bears. The long hours of daylight can turn into long hours of work and play, and little sleep.

The campground was only one part of the resort. There were boat and kayak rentals. There were fishing charters, for halibut and salmon. There were water taxies, to take campers, hunters, kayakers, and hikers to remote parts to pursue their passions. There were also rental cabins for those who didn’t have their own accommodations. Like many Alaska RV resorts, there was a store with camping supplies, fishing tackle, snacks, and tourist souvenirs.

My position was to help out doing whatever was needed around the resort. Some of my duties included building new structures and maintaining older buildings. I worked on the electrical system, including trouble shooting problems, and installing new wiring. I did all sorts of plumbing, including everything from drinking fountains to septic systems. I also cleaned and fueled boats. I would operate and maintain the tractors used to launch boats from the beach. Deck handing and fish cleaning were also within my responsibilities.

They generally hired staff for one position There were many different ones: maids, deck hands, boat captains, store clerks, a bookkeeper, marina personnel, kayak guides, kayak instructors, maintenance men, an outside person, and reservation clerks.

Most all the positions were full-time seasonal, working 40 hours a week. This usually consisted of 8-hour or 10-hour days, rotating the days of the week. The Alaska camping resort season runs May through September. They prefer workers to stay at least three months.

Compensation varies according to position, skills, and seniority. Lodging is available at this particular resort, as it is with many Alaska jobs. If you don't have an RV, you may be able to get a cabin or bunk house room. You also received tips while working some of the positions. Other perks included being able to take advantage of all the activities available to the customers. A fun benefit for us was getting discounts to many other activities in the area.

Alaska offers literally thousands of jobs, perfect for RVers. They are all over the state, from the southeast along the coast, all the way up into the interior. There are gold mining towns, helicopter tours, riverboats, fly out fish camps, and all sorts of seasonal attractions. Working at an Alaskan RV resort is a once in a lifetime, dream come true experience for many working RVers

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Coleen's comments: My husband, Bob Nilles, wrote this article about working at an Alaskan RV resort. While many RVers only have the opportunity to work in Alaska for one season, we have spent many summers (and some winters) in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Alaska is a special place, with majestic beauty, grand wildlife viewing, excellent fishing, and a huge tourism industry which creates numerous seasonal jobs for working RVers and campers.

Workers On Wheels is our website and newsletter about working while RVing -- working
while living in a home on wheels. There are so many kinds of work to do while
RVing and camping (what some campers call workcamping or work camping). We help
RV workers -- whether snowbirds or full-time RVers -- find campground
jobs, volunteer jobs, jobs with RV spaces, seasonal jobs, mobile employment, short-term paid employment, and
other ways to earn an income and cut expenses while enjoying life in a recreational vehicle. Thanks for visiting our WOW website! ~ Coleen
and Bob, your Workers On Wheels editors, at work-for-RVers-and-campers.com